Cherries Jubilee

Did you ever want to impress your family and friends by making something that looks so complicated appear so simple? I’m not talking rocket science or brain surgery, things of that nature are complex enough already and should remain that way. No, I’m talking about something that will be the coup de grâce when it comes to finishing off a fine meal. That something is called Cherries Jubilee.

After finishing whatever fine meal you’ve prepared the time has come to impress your dinner guests.

Here’s what you do

Open up those two cans of Bing Cherries and drain and save the juice. Take a little of the juice and mix in a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of cornstarch.

In a heated skillet, dump in the rest of the cherry juice. Cook it over moderate heat for a minute or two and then throw in the juice/sugar/cornstarch mix. When the stuff in the skillet starts to thicken add the cherries to mix.

In the meantime, warm up ¼ cup of the cognac and set it aside. Once the cherries get warmed through pour in the booze. If you want to impress your audience call them into the kitchen and ask them to witness your culinary talents.

When they’ve all gathered round, light that shit on fire and stand back for a second or two and bask in the “ooh’s and “aah’s” of your guests. Once the flames die down a bit shake the skillet back and forth until the flames are gone entirely. This is a pretty good indicator that all the alcohol has burned off.

If you’re feeling fancy, scoop the vanilla ice cream into some oversize cocktail glasses. If not, regular old dessert dishes will do. Next, spoon some of the cherries over the ice cream and dig in.

After receiving rave reviews from your fellow diners feel free to polish off the bottle of cognac.